After an international search, Stephen D. “Steve” Kevan has been named the new director of the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).
The ALS produces extremely bright X-ray, infrared, and extreme ultraviolet light for more than 2,000 visiting scientists each year. Up to 40 experiments can be performed simultaneously using the synchrotron, resulting in nearly 1,000 peer-reviewed scientific articles each year across a range of fields, from chemistry and materials sciences to biology and environmental sciences. The facility draws on the Lab’s unique and long-standing expertise in designing, building, and operating world-class accelerators to advance scientific research.
Kevan, a condensed matter physicist, has served as ALS director in an interim capacity since January, when the preceding director, Roger Falcone, stepped down after more than 11 years in the role. Previously, Kevan was the ALS division deputy for science for more than five years and has been on the faculty of the University of Oregon’s physics department since 1986.
Kevan takes on the role of ALS director at a pivotal point in its history. The facility, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary later this year, is taking its first steps toward a major upgrade, dubbed “ALS-U.”
>Read more on the Advanced Light Source website
Image: Steve Kevan